INTERNATIONAL  MISSIONARY  UNION  papers. 


THE  MEDICAL  WORK 

IN 

FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 


Rev.  Edward  Chester.  M.  D. 


Read  before  the  International  Missionary  Union 
at  Bridgeton,  N.  J.,  July,  1888. 


Price,  3 cents  postpaid.  Ten  copies,  20  cents.  For  sale  by  “ The  Missionary 
Club,”  82  Seneca  Street,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


The  Medical  Work  in  Missions. 


BY  REV.  EDWARD  CHESTER,  M.  D.,  INDIA. 


Read  before  International  Missionary  Union , IS 8$ 

The  time  has  passed  for  the  necessity  of  urging  the 
importance  of  the  medical  in  connection  with  other 
forms  of  mission  work.  And  more  than  ever  before, 
most  missions  are  feeling  that  the  medical  work  must  be 
cared  for  and  valued,  just  as  are  the  educational,  the 
evangelistic  and  the  congregation  and  church  work,  and 
that  for  women  and  girls. 

There  will  be  cases  w'here  the  particular  circumstances 
of  location,  custom,  a deficiency  of  fund,  or  a paucity 
of  laborers  may  render  it  almost  impossible  to  carry  on 
every  form  of  mission  work.  But  in  a mission  with  a 
sufficient  force,  not  cramped  for  funds,  and  with  ability 
to  undertake  the  various  forms  of  mission  work,  the 
medical  work  should  be  conducted  with  the  same  care 
and  energy  as  the  educational  or  other  form  of  labor. 

The  statement  that  the  medical  work  is  very  expensive, 
almost  as  much  so  as  the  educational,  will  not  be  found 
true  in  all  cases.  And  it  is  a question  whether  it  may 
not  always  be  almost  self-supporting.  Certain  it  is  that 
the  medical  man  himself  in  each  locality  may  do  very 


THE  MEDICAL  WORK  IN  MISSIONS. 


8 


much  to  make  this  work  in  a mission  inexpensive,  and  it 
depends  greatly  upon  him  whether  it  is  popular  with 
the  people  and  a success  or  not. 

I would  start  with  the  proposition  that,  in  organizing 
any  new  mission  in  a locality  where  none  had  existed 
before,  the  medical  work  should  be  given  a place,  as 
much  as  the  educational  or  the  work  of  preaching.  And 
even  in  missions  of  long  standing,  if  the  medical  work 
has  not  been  entertained.  I would  urge  a trial  of  it,  with 
an  eye  to  the  great  gain  it  would  be  to  the  mission. 

My  second  point  would  be  that  the  medical  work  in  a 
mission  must  be  eminently  evangelistic,  and  in  harmony 
with  all  the  other  work  of  the  mission. 

A third  consideration  is  that  if  the  medical  work  is 
taken  up  at  all  in  a mission,  it  must  be  a thorough  and 
efficient  work — one  which  will  command  the  respect  and 
regard  of  all  classes. 

Fourth,  and  lastly,  the  exigency  of  the  times  demands 
a much  larger  force  of  medical  men  and  women  upon 
mission  fields 

i.  The  medical  work  sh  ■uld  be  given  a place  in  every 
well  organized  mission.  I do  not  mean  the  having  one  or 
even  more  men  in  a mission  who  know  a little  about  medi- 
cine, or  even  have  a degree,  providing  they  confine  their 
medical  work  to  the  limits  of  their  own  family  and 
servants,  or  even  the  families  of  the  catechists  and 
teachers  living  at  headquarters.  Nor  do  I mean  an 
occasional  taking  up  of  the  medical  work  for  a week  or 
two,  and  then  giving  it  up  for  months  at  a time.  With 
the  same  expectation  of  permanency  as  you  would 
commence  a high  school  or  boarding  school  at  head- 
quarters, with  the  same  use  of  recognized  appliances, 


4 


THE  MEDICA  L WORK  IX  MISSIONS. 


the  same  amount  of  energy  and  system  in  carrying  on 
the  work,  and  the  same  generosity  in  the  use  of  funds 
for  necessary  expenses,  thus  only  is  it  of  any  real  use  to 
conduct  the  medical  work  in  missions.  One  or  more 
dispensaries  at  important  centers,  a ho-pital,  if  the  funds 
will  allow,  and  accommodation  in  this  for  at  least  a 
dozen  in-patients,  a good  supply  of  inexpensive  medicine 
so  that  all  the  out-patients  as  well,  who  attend  the 
dispensary,  may  receive  a supply  of  medicine;  a sufficient 
staff  of  native  trained  assistants  to  prescribe,  compound, 
and  look  after  surgical  cases  and  with  a sufficient  stock 
of  surgical  instruments  for  all  minor  operations.  All 
these  are  necessary  for  a successful  medical  work  in  a 
mission. 

I have  for  years,  in  my  mission  work  in  India,  found 
it  wise,  as  enabling  me  to  save  myself  for  more  impor- 
tant work  to  do  nothing  myself  which  could  be  about 
as  well  done  by  a native.  It  is  on  this  line  that  I have 
always  had,  in  my  work  in  the  Dindigal  Dispensary,  such 
a staff  of  native  assistants,  that  I could  trust  the  work 
to  them  for  a few  days  at  a time,  when  obliged  to  be 
myself  out  in  the  villages  In  short,  I think  that  in  the 
medical  work  in  missions,  as  in  the  educational  work, 
those  steps  must  be  taken,  which  will  insure  success. 
The  natives  of  India  are  clever  enough  to  know  which 
are  the  best  schools,  the  government  or  the  mission 
schools,  and  choose  the  best,  which  are,  as  a rule,  the 
latter,  even  though  they  know  they  will  have  to  give  an 
hour  a day,  for  five  days  of  the  week,  to  the  study  of  the 
Bible.  And  just  so  is  it  with  dispensaries  in  India.  As 
a rule,  the  mission  dispensary  is  the  most  popular  and 
has  the  largest  attendance.  And  it  is  good  policy  for 


THE  MEDICAL  WORK  IN  MISSIONS. 


any  mission  to  make  its  schools  and  its  dispensaries  the 
best  in  the  market. 

To  the  work  of  the  dispensary  and  the  hospital 
already  noted,  I would  add,  to  be  attended  to,  if 
possible,  by  the  medical  missionary,  the  training  of  good 
native  men  and  women  for  the  work  of  hospital  assistants 
and  nurses.  Then  native  Christians  could  be  selected, 
and  a choice  made  among  these,  so  as  to  secure  those 
who  would  add  evangelistic  to  their  medical  work. 

1 would  give  the  medical  work  a place  in  every  well 
organized  mission,  because  I believe  that,  in  a very 
special  degree,  it  adds  to  the  efficiency  of  every  branch 
of  mission  work,  and  makes  the  work,  as  a whole,  more 
successful. 

I would  do  so,  also,  because  I think  that  it  furnishes, 
in  the  course  of  a year,  a very  large  number  of  most  at- 
tentive and  interested  hearers  of  the  gospel,  not  to  say 
scholars.  I would  do  so  because  I think  it  gives  us  an 
entrance  into  many  houses,  and  an  intimacy  and  friend- 
ship with  many  of  the  more  intelligent,  respectable  and 
influential  natives,  such  as  could  be  secured  in  no  other 
way.  And  all  this  quite  aside  from  the  positive  good 
resulting  from  the  relief  of  suffering  and  saving  of  life. 

2.  But  I pass  to  the  second  point,  that  the  medical 
work  in  a mission  must  be  eminently  evangelistic  and  in 
harmony  with  all  the  other  work  of  the  mission.  The 
more  skilful  the  medical  missionary  as  a physician,  the 
more  clever  as  a surgeon,  the  better  for  the  work  and 
for  making  it  a success,  so  far  as  popularity  goes.  But 
it  will  not  be  a success  as  a mission  work  unless  the  sav- 
ing of  souls  is  ever  brought  to  the  front  as  the  main 
object  to  be  accomplished,  and  unless  the  medical  mis- 


li  THE  MEDICAL  WORK  IN  MISSIONS 

sionary  is  eminently  a spiritual  man  with  much  of  the 
mind  of  Jesus.  As  in  New  England  of  old,  the  church 
and  the  schoolhouse  were  side  by  side,  and  each  helping 
the  other,  so  should  the  church  and  the  schoolhouse  and 
the  dispensary,  on  mission  ground,  work  into  one  an- 
other’s hands  and  be  eminently  fellow-workers.  In  a 
mission  dispensary,  both  among  the  out  and  the  in- 
patients, there  is  ample  opportunity  for  making  known 
the  gospel.  And  oftentimes  the  patients  are  in  such  a 
state  of  mind  that  they  may  truly  be  said  to  hear  the 
Word  gladly.  In  every  part  of  our  mission  work  we 
turn  to  the  Lord  Jesus  as  our  great  example.  But  emi- 
nently in  the  medical  work  must  we  follow  His  example 
in  striving  to  reach  the  heart  and  save  the  soul  by  show- 
ing our  desire  to  relieve  suffering,  to  heal  the  sick,  to 
give  sight  to  the  blind,  and  hearing  to  the  deaf.  The 
medical  work  in  missions  is  nothing,  save  as  it  helps  to 
show  to  the  heathen  that  the  divine  Christ  is  the  center, 
the  soul  and  the  life  of  Christianity,  and  that  we  are  His 
disciples  and  followers. 

3.  Our  third  consideration  is  that  if  the  medical  work 
is  taken  up  at  all  in  a mission,  it  must  be  a thorough  and 
efficient  work,  one  which  will  command  the  respect  and 
regard  of  all  classes.  In  all  cases  with  which  I am 
acquainted  in  India,  the  medical  missionary  has  become 
proficient  in  the  vernacular,  so  that  he  speaks  with  his 
native  patients  without  the  help  of  an  interpreter.  1'his 
is  seldom  the  case  with  the  civil  or  government  dispen- 
saries. But  this  greatly  pleases  the  natives,  especially 
the  women.  Then,  with  hardly  an  exception,  the  rule 
in  a mission  dispensary  is  one  of  kindness.  Not  only  is 
the  medical  missionary  very  careful  to  gain  the  affection 


THE  MEDICAL  WORK  IN  MISSIONS. 


of  the  native  patients  by  his  invariable  kindness,  but  he 
insists  upon  his  native  assistants  in  the  dispensary  fol- 
lowing his  example.  And  here  the  natives  are  not  slow 
to  mark  the  difference  between  the  mission  and  the 
other  dispensaries. 

But,  important  as  it  is  to  let  the  law  of  the  dispensary 
be  a law  of  love,  other  things  must  be  added.  The  work 
of  the  dispensary  must  be  carried  on  with  the  greatest 
regularity,  precision  and  care.  It  must  be  decidedly 
first-class  work.  There  is  no  place  here  for  half-way 
work,  skimping  or  sham.  He  who  is  not  willing  to  give 
his  whole  time,  his  whole  heart,  and  his  whole  love  to 
the  medical  mission  work,  had  better  leave  it  alone  alto- 
gether. . The  loathsome  leper  must  have  our  best  care 
as  well  as  the  simple  cases  of  fever.  Cases  of  cholera 
and  small-pox  c-an  no  more  be  avoided  or  neglected 
than  the  farmer  neglect  to  feed  his  horses  or  cattle 
The  best  results,  which  only  follow  the  best  service,  must 
gain  for  a mission  dispensary  a good  name.  Let  no  one 
imagine  that  a mere  smattering  of  medical  matters,  the 
knowledge  of  medicine  which  would  be  picked  up  in 
reading  a few  pages  here  and  there  of  the  books  denom- 
inated “ Medicine  for  the  Family  ” would  suffice  to  en- 
able a man  to  have  charge  of  a dispensary  in  India, 
Japan,  China  or  Africa,  where,  in  the  course  of  a month, 
there  may  present  themselves  almost  every  form  of  med- 
ical disease  and  surgical  of  which  our  best  American 
medical  text  books  inform  us.  And  a medical  mission- 
ary has  seldom  the  opportunity  of  holding  a consultation 
with  a brother  doctor,  even  in  a dangerous  case,  requir- 
ing, perhaps,  a most  difficult  surgical  operation.  The 
nearest  European  doctor,  as  in  the  case  of  the  writer, 


s 


THE  M ED rCAL  WORK  IN  M/SS/O.VS. 


may  be  38  miles  away,  and  the  medical  missionary  may 
have  to  treat  all  his  medical  cases  and  decide  upon  all  his 
surgical  operations  entirely  by  himself.  If  a mission 
would  have  the  medical  work  a success,  it  must  be  willing 
to  take  pains  to  secure  a really  efficient  workman  and 
grudge  no  expenditure  which  is  necessary  to  secure  him 
a competent  corps  of  native  assistants  and  a fair  supply 
of  surgical  instruments  and  medicine. 

The  medical  mission  work  has  been  found  to  pay, 
and  to  pay  well,  in  all  cases  where  it  has  been  conducted 
properly  and  in  a liberal  spirit.  Instances  to  prove  this 
could  be  given  by  the  hour.  Thorough  work  and  the 
best,  carried  on  in  love  to  Christ  and  souls,  and  for 
Christ’s  sake,  this  must  be  the  motto  and  life  of  all 
successful  medical  mission  work. 

4.  Fourth,  and  lastly,  the  exigency  of  the  times 
demands  a much  larger  force  of  medical  men  and  women 
in  mission  fields.  I can-  speak  of  India  from  what  I 
know  of  the  state  of  mission  work  there,  after  an  experi- 
ence of  twenty-eight  years.  But  what  1 note  of  India, 
I think,  I may,  with  equal  force  and  truth,  say  of  China, 
Japan,  Turkey,  Persia  and  Syria.  Never  before  has 
there  been  such  an  interest  felt  in  medical  mission  work; 
never  before  such  an  opportunity  afforded  for  reaching 
the  people  through  the  dispensary.  In  India  the  Lady 
Dufferin  scheme  has  excited  an  intense  interest  through- 
out the  whole  of  India  in  the  medical  work  for  women, 
and  though  more  lady  physicians  have  come  out  to 
India  in  connection  with  the  various  evangelical  missions 
during  the  past  ten  years  than  in  all  previous  years,  yet 
it  seems  to-day  as  if  there  were  places  for  scores  more. 
And  in  the  medical  mission  work  for  women,  in  all  the 


THE  MEDICAL  WORK  IN  MISSIONS.  !) 

countries  noted  above,  there  is,  perhaps,  the  strongest 
argument  for  the  importance  of  the  medical  mission 
work,  the  strongest  ground  of  its  great  necessity  as  a 
part  of  mission  work,  than  can  possibly  be  given.  I 
need  not  take  from  any  table  of  statistics  the  proportion 
of  women  to  men  in  the  population  of  the  prominent 
countries  of  the  East.  Their  number  is  immense.  And 
with  all  this  countless  number  of  women  and  girls  there 
is  no  possible  way  of  reaching  them  and  influencing  them, 
and  blessing  them,  which  wall  compare  with  that  in  the 
power  of  the  Christian  lady  physician.  To  every  lady 
physician  now  on  the  ground,  in  the  countries  noted 
above,  if  there  were  ten,  yes,  a score,  it  would  not  be 
one  too  many  for  the  great  and  important  work  the  Lord 
is  giving  to  just  this  class  of  Christian  laborers. 

And  the  number  of  male  medical  missionaries  should 
be  greatly  increased.  We  can  do  much  of  our  work 
through  our  native  Christians,  but  they  require  to  be 
trained  for  special  work.  We  can  never,  in  any  heathen 
or  Muhammadan  country,  expect  to  have  all  the 
European  or  American  laborers  required  for  the  evan- 
gelization of  these  countries.  We  must  call  to  our  aid 
the  natives  of  the  different  countries.  But  for  aid  in 
Christian  work  the  missionary  must  train  them  for  each 
specific  form  of  mission  work.  For  the  medical  work, 
both  among  men  and  women,  many  more  native  men 
and  women  need  to  be  carefully  trained,  and  this  is  an 
important  work  devolving  on  the  medical  missionary. 

I have  already  alluded  to  the  large  and  appreciative 
audiences  which  the  medical  missionary  has  in  his  dis- 
pensaries. Even  for  this  purely  evangelistic  work  we 
need  more  medical  missionaries.  And  I can  speak  from 


10 


THE  MEDICAL  WORK  IN  MISSIONS 


personal  experience  when  I say  that  with  an  efficient 
corps  of  trained  native  assistants  in  his  dispensaries  the 
medical  missionary  can  do  a great  deal  of  evangelistic 
work.  For  24  years  I have  been  compelled,  from  the 
smallness  of  our  mission  force,  to  have  charge  of  a large 
and  important  station,  with  its  churches  and  congrega- 
tions, and  schools  of  various  grades,  and  the  work  of 
the  itineracy,  or  preaching  in  heathen  villages,  while 
carrying  on  all  my  medical  work.  An  English  service 
every  Sunday  evening,  with  an  English  sermon,  has  been 
thrown  in  as  a matter  of  simple  recreation.  It  has 
truly,  however,  been  a great  pleasure. 

That  my  Dindigal  Dispensary  has  been  of  the  greatest 
help  to  me  in  my  general  mission  work,  I have  had 
many  proofs.  I have  gained  the  good  will  of  the 
people;  our  native  pastors  and  catechists  can  preach 
and  sell  Scripture  portions  and  tracts  in  any  part  of  the 
station  without  any  fear  of  insult  or  opposition.  They 
are  listened  to  with  the  greatest  interest.  I would 
receive  a welcome  in  the  house  of  any  man  in  the  whole 
of  the  Dindigal  District.  I find  it  more  easy,  on  this 
very  account,  to  establish  schools  in  the  villages,  and  I 
receive  more  money  from  the  people  for  their  support. 
And  the  Dindigal  Dispensary  and  Hospital,  with  about 
9,000  new  cases  every  year,  and  20,000  old  cases,  or 
those  coming  more  than  once  to  the  dispensary,  and 
patients  coming  in  the  same  period  from  500  and  more 
different  villages,  have  cost  the  mission  nothing  these 
24  years,  from  the  first  year  they  were  established. 
For  my  services,  which  1 am  only  too  glad  to  give 
gratuitously,  the  English  Government  gives  me  the 
whole  cost  of  the  dispensary  establishment,  all  the 


THE  MEDICAL  WORK  IN  MISSIONS. 


11 


medicines  required  each  year,  and  all  the  surgical 
instruments  and  hospital  appliances.  The  American 
Board  of  Foreign  missions  kindly  gave  me  the  money 
for  the  hospital  and  dispensary  buildings,  which  secures 
these  permanently  to  the  mission. 

And  I see  no  reason  why  the  English  Government 
would  not  grant  this  favor  in  any  part  of  India,  if 
satisfied  that  a medical  work  in  a given  locality  is 
needed,  and  will  be  carried  on  efficiently. 

After  these  twenty-eight  years  in  India,  watching  with 
intense  interest  the  work  in  various  missions  and  various 
localities,  I have  been  forced  to  the  conviction  that  it  is 
not  best  to  undertake  any  one  form  of  mission  work  at 
the  expense  of  the  others,  but  rather  have  them  all  car- 
ried on  with  as  much  skill  and  energy  as  possible,  letting- 
each  help  and  support  the  other.  I would  not,  there- 
fore, exalt  the  medical  work  beyond  others,  which 
for  many  years  have  been  found  worthy  of  trial.  I 
would,  however,  strive  to  have  this  work  given  the  place 
it  deserves  and  fairly  tried. 

When  we  see  in  England  and  America  the  splendid 
buildings  which  are  being  erected  for  hospitals,  when  we 
know  what  large  amounts  are  necessary  to  carry  them 
on  successfully,  we  cannot  believe  that  this  medical  work 
is  being  tried,  and  the  large  expenditure  made  without 
careful  consideration.  More  costly  hospitals  are  being 
built  and  a larger  expenditure  incurred,  because  it  is 
known  that  the  work  appeals  to  the  interest  and  sym- 
pathy of  the  whole  people.  And  none  the  less  is  this 
medical  work  needed  in  heathen  lands.  We  cannot 
conduct  it  on  such  a magnificent  scale  as  in  this  country. 
It  is  not  necessary.  But  we  can  show  the  heathen,  in  a 


12 


THE  MEDICAL  WORK  IN  MISSIONS. 


much  less  expensive  manner,  the  same  lesson  of  the  gos- 
pel and  how  the  Lord  and  Master  cared  for  His  fellow  men, 
and  went  about  doing  good  to  all.  A mission  dispen- 
sary on  heathen  ground  is  a beautiful  and  striking  object 
lesson.  It  is  ever  educating  the  heathen  in  the  first 
principles  of  the  gospel.  Its  golden  word  is  “ Love,”  its 
motto,  “ Therefore,  all  things  whatsoever  ye  would  that 
men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them.” 


